Thanks to everyone that braved the heat to attend the ceremony. I think everyone in attendance was moved by the sight of the memorial. It's hard to imagine the massiveness of the project until you see it for yourself. The Marine Corps band was on hand. There were colorguards & speakers from each of the five branches of service. The keynote speaker was MajGen Ray Smith (USMC retired & former CG of Camp Lejeune). One of the most memorable moments was when the Gold-Star Mothers were escorted to their seats by the local Rolling Thunder chapter. Other than the heat, everything was great.
If you weren't able to to attend, I hope you'll stop by & visit soon. It is free & open to the public. Park in the lot along Montford Point Road. Just follow the concrete pathway to the site. This Memorial will forever stand in honor of all those that served during the Vietnam era, expressing the sentiments that they may not have heard when they first returned from duty... "Welcome home...job well done!" To view pictures from the dedication, visit our MySpace page or just click HERE.
Additional pictures can be viewed on the Jacksonville Daily News site, just click HERE and a video by Jacksonville Daily News HERE. There's also a video clip from WNCT TV-9 HERE.
It's been less tha a week since the Memorial was opened & already mementos are being left to honor those on the wall. To see a running history of the items left behind click HERE.
Fundraising continues to complete the project. We will be adding a canopy over the fountain, lighting, permanent railing to the bridge, flagpoles & even a welcome center with bathroom facilities, information about the memorial & the details about the names on the wall. If you want to help, click HERE.
Thanks,
Kat Horn
For more information on what is included in Phase One & pictures of the construction click HERE
For information on how you can help support the project click HERE
To visit our myspace page click HERE
To visit our annual motorcycle Run page click HERE
